How troubling are unhappy vibes coming from Adrian Beltre and Cole Hamels for Rangers?

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Texas Rangers designated hitter Adrian Beltre picks up a bat in the dugout during the second inning of a spring training baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)

Tim Cowlishaw, sports columnist for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, author of Drunk on Sports and panelist on ESPN's "Around the Horn," answers questions about the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks, Stars and college sports in his reader mailbag. Here are some highlights:

Should Cole Hamels be more jazzed about a six-man rotation when stats show he pitches better with more rest -- specifically five days of rest?

He does pitch well when he gets that extra day and I’m sure he knows that. That’s why his reaction last Saturday in Scottsdale surprised me. He’s also not really in a position of strength after posing a 4.20 ERA last year. If Hamels was coming off his usual good season, he’d have a stronger voice. I realize he remains the best pitching option this team has but right now he just has to see what he can deliver early in the season and worry about the six-man stuff later.

Should the Rangers be concerned that both Adrian Beltre and Cole Hamels are not 100% happy with the direction of the team in 2018?

I don’t think that’s a huge deal. Neither one is going to sit or complain. They’re very good players in the final year of their contracts and they wish they had better surroundings. This isn’t a very good team. So that’s understandable. But you never know exactly how things are going to go, teams can surprise people. The Rangers weren’t supposed to be any good in Banister’s first year coming off 95 losses and losing Darvish in March, and they won the division. You never know.

Any predictions for the Rangers' rotation this season? Do you think Tim Lincecum could be a reliable closer barring another injury setback?

I have no idea on the Lincecum closer idea. That was talked about while I was in Surprise last week before he arrived, but they really haven’t even seen him do anything. Might as well throw him into the mix, they don’t have a true closer. I think the rotation will probably be all over the map but I assume it will start out with Hamels, Perez, Moore, Fister and either Minor or Bush or both.